Dell Exec Shuffle Forms Consolidated Global Channel Group

Dell has consolidated two of its channel teams into one Tuesday putting Bob Skelley, executive director of Dell's Global Certified Partner Program, in charge of a single Global Channel Programs and Partner Enablement team. The move comes as Dell's Global Channel Marketing Executive Director Kathy Schneider leaves the Round Rock, Texas-based after four years to take a job outside of the company.

"Kathy was phenomenal team player and with her departure it gave us an opportunity to tighten up the organization," said Greg Davis, vice president and general manager, of Dell's Global Commercial Channel.

Skelley will now take on Schneider's channel marketing team while retaining his responsibilities executing Dell's channel development programs. As part of the executive shuffle, Dell combines Skelley's Channel Programs and Enablement division with Schneider's Global Channel Marketing and Programs team, to form a single Global Channel Programs and Partner Enablement group.

"There was always a lot of synergy between our two teams," said Skelley. "Now we are all under one umbrella and that's really going to help on execution," he said.

Dell said channel partners won't see any changes and that the moves didn't include a headcount reduction or changes in budgets up or down. "Our goals and strategy don't change," Skelley said. Asked about new channel programs on the horizon, Skelley said it's too early to tell.

Dell's channel management changes come less than 10 days before a July 18 shareholder vote on Dell's privatization bid. The timing, Davis said, was coincidental.

Channel partner Hal Jagger, vice president and general manager of corporate sales at Somerset, N.J.-based SHI, said the news neither surprised nor concerned him. "It sounds like natural streamlining of the company to find organizational efficiencies."